RHD begins administration of Anti-malaria drugs to children


The Upper East Regional Health Directorate will begin administration of full treatment courses of an Ant-malaria medicine to all children in the region. 

The exercise which will commence in August 15, 2016 is targeted at children between the ages of three to fifty nine months. 

The sulfadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) and amodiaquine combination is effective against malaria in children. 

The anti-malaria drug will be administered by starting with a single dose of SP accompanied by three-day treatment course with amodiaquine once a month for 3 to 4 months during the high malaria transmission period when children are most at risk of malaria. 

This was announced by the Upper East Regional Director of Health Service, Dr. Kofi Issah, at a media engagement meeting in Bolgatanga. 

Dr. Issah therefore called on all stakeholders including care givers, mothers, community leaders, policy makers, the media, and community based organizations in the region to support this worthy course to make the campaign a success. 

He said studies have shown that by providing healthy children with a monthly course of the SP and amodiaquine during peak transmission season, over 20,000 deaths could be prevented while 80 percent of severe and uncomplicated cases could be prevented each year. 

Dr Issah said the critical issue regarding the upcoming exercise was the fact that it will maintain therapeutic anti-malaria drug concentrations in the blood throughout the period of greatest malarial risk. 

Dr Kofi Issah said a survey conducted revealed that 44 percent of children between 6 to 59 months in the Upper East region tested positive to malaria parasite, with Northern region recording 48 percent and Upper West with the highest figure of 51 percent. 

He therefore said it was due to these alarming rates of the disease that Ghana Health Service together with its partners and government targeted resources at reducing the prevalence rate at worst affected areas. 

He said the upper east is second to benefit from the exercise after upper west region. 

Dr Issah mentioned that the directorate has secured 1,622,020 Ghana cedis to carry out the exercise with a targeted number of 215,845 children. 

He advised communities and families to actively take part in the exercise to help protect their children against malaria. 

The media/stakeholder engagement meeting brought together stakeholders including health personnel, Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Red Cross and the media. 

It was aimed at sensitizing them on the upcoming exercise to be better positioned to inform the public on the importance of the exercise.

GBC